Bill Belichick is usually pretty direct when he talks, and this time he didn’t hold back in detailing a measure that has been affecting New England Patriots scouts. According to Belichick, they have been banned from using the UNC Tar Heels’ facilities — a place where he himself once worked for years — because he says he’s not welcome there either.
“It’s clear I’m not welcome there at their facility,” Belichick said about his relationship with UNC and how it impacts the Patriots’ scouts. “So they’re not welcome at ours. It’s pretty simple.”
His decision to block the scouts has drawn criticism from fans and even from contract and salary cap expert Jason from Over The Cap, who wrote: “This is a bad look for Belichick. For pro sports fine, but he’s a college coach and if there are players on his team that the Patriots want to scout he is doing his players a disservice by acting this way.”
How many UNC players have been drafted by the Patriots?
Since 1981, the New England Patriots have drafted seven players out of UNC, including the first selected in 1961 by the Boston Patriots. The most recent was quarterback Drake Maye in 2024, ending nearly a two-year stretch in which no QB from the program had been drafted by a pro team.
Only one of those UNC players went on to win a Super Bowl with the Patriots. Safety Dexter Reid earned two rings during his career, one of them with New England in 2005, when the Patriots defeated the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
The season didn’t start well for Belichick
Belichick’s first game as UNC’s head coach didn’t sit well with fans, as the team suffered a 48-14 blowout loss to TCU. He did manage to notch his first win recently, a 20-3 victory over Charlotte. Up next, UNC will face two more non-conference opponents (Richmond, UCF) before the marquee matchup against Clemson on October 4.
see also
Bill Belichick’s salary: How much does the North Carolina Tar Heels coach charge?
